Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-16
MATTERS In OLD EExlCO.
COMPLIMENTS WHICH SOUND
WELL BUT SIGNIFY NOTHING.
Excessive Politeness and Tedious
Etiquette-What is Said AT a
Ceremoniols Call.
Especial RroonD-Usros Correspondence

Especial REcoRp-UNIoN Correspondence.l
GUADALAJARA, April s, 1887.
The extreme politeness of these gentle |
Mericanccs is sometimes but short remove |
from the absurd, and though their man
ners are kindness personified, it sometimes
strikes US that Spanish compliments are as
tiresome as ridiculous. For example, in
making a cali: When ladies appear at the
door of the sdld de recibo (reception ROOM
having been admitted thas. far by the
porter, who sits at the gate of the casa
the hostess runs to receive them as fast as
her high heels will allow. Mexican ladies,
when they sit. have an air of great dignity
and perfect repose of features. They are
seen to best advantage in their carriages,
on their sofas at home. or in their boxes a.
the theater. But on foot they simply wob-
BILE, and when in haste their ungracefulness
of gait is, of course, intensified. This is No
doubt largely due to the fact that they wear
heels absurdly high, placed almost in the
center of the foot, and always insist upon
wearing shoe at least an inch too short
for the foot.
She embraces each of her visitors in turn,
after a curious fashion that took us long
to learn-not by an Americans kiss or q
Frenchmans hearty hug, but each of the
enetrasees (if one may be allowed to coin a
word Tor the occaslon) puts her right hand
upon the others shoulder, her left hand
near the others heart, and, leaning for
ward on her toes Just lays her cheek for an
instant alongside the others neck. 1t looks
cordial, to say the least OF it. but beginners
are sure to make pad work at hrst, bob
ping their beads 10 the wrong side, and
Dumping one anothers noses.
tended to all around--for neglecting to en-
brace one OF the callers would be equivalent
to giving her the worst kind of a - cut di-
rec" THE mistress of the manse leads the
way across the sata to the square of carpet
at the further end, which is always bounded
on shtee siues oy sne s SOFA agalnsl the wall
But before sitting down another ceremony
mast De gone through with dc rigue,~.
says the hostess, fray be seated, Ia
dies.
Seat yourself, sonora is the response.
:, NO, no, pd&se she replies and so
they keep II up indefinitely until 1t begins
10 look as though they never would sit
GOWN. flhaliy the deadlock is broken by
AAAStdDSi
OF tne party, VINO, with an air OF dlgnlfied
humlilty, remarks: Edya well, to oblige
you without iurther ceremony; dislike
compliments.
Inc lazy VINO is considered OF most
consequence, either by reason of age or
social poslton, Is invariably seated on the
night hand corner OF the SOFIA point in
euquette OF great lmportance-and the
mistress OF the casa on the tarthest chair.
the t0llnUInD fal
Win never the slightest variation:
How is your health, senorita? Are
you wei
,e.A,,t your service, senorita; and your
seH
Sun noreddd without novelty; at your
service
anu reIoiced. And how are you, SEN
orlta
AT your disposal. And yourself? ~
Mit grdc'ds Thousand thanks); at your
service
After the entire round has been made
OF these polite inquiries and replies, they
pegln over again; And the senior, your
husband, how is he?"
81" grdciaS, at you disposal, without
novelty, ETC., through the gamut of all
thelr relatives, from the grandmothers
down to the babies. This takes some time,
and IL early In the morning, there is the
additional question, which must be put to
every one whom you meet before mid
aay, como pdsSe Y. la noche?" { How did you
pass the night Ply; to be invariably an
sWered, whether well or i'll, by the oft
repeated, "A thousand thanks; at your
service; ana yourself =
All these empty compliments are merely
tokens OF good will, without serious mean
ing, ana, IN TACT, there is little real etiquette
here, but the most perfect ldissez aller in the
world. AS everywhere else, even in Mex
lco' where the temperature scarcely varies
Ten degrees In course OF year. the weather
affords a legitimate topic of conversation.
The slightest change in the degree of heat
or cold opens the battery, and the occa-
slonal surprise OF dull skies or signs of
ram is perfect bonanza in that direction
The visit over, the ladies re-embrace all
around, the lady OF the house follows her
guests 10 the outer door, and again thou
SAND compliments are given and returned.
Each refuses to 'pdSSe W ahead of the
DINERS, and alter several minutes the
lilendiy strife IS at last ended as before by
the Oldest lady, who says, Fdyd, to oblige
you.
once outside they turn again, and each
REMARKS 10 the hostess, Sonora, you know
mat my poor house and all in it are at
your disposal.
-ut grdclds, Sonora, she replies, " and
mine is at yours; and though useless, know
me Tor your servant and command me in
anything you may desire"
Ad'oS, sonora hope you may pass a
gooc night" the first responds, etc, etc,
al lntndum. And then all trail off to an
other house, and repeat precisely the same
performance. AT first we found all this
vastly amusing but must confess that in
the course OF months, repeated on an aver
age OF twenty times day, it has grown
somewhat monotonous.
AS IN the Orient, the gentlemen also en-
brace when they meet, and often actually
hug each other. A not unpleasant sight it
Is to see two lusty fellows giving one an
o'her hearty hug-though you know that
within the hour they may be carving each
other with their stilettos.
In Mexico all ladies address one another.
and are usually addressed by gentlemen, by
their given names. 1t is at first rather
startling to stranger TO be so Familiarity
spoken to by those whom one has seen but
once or twice-bnt things must be taken as
they are meant, and no undue familiarity
being intended, none should be imagined.
lie take offense would be to initiate the
Italian mentioned by Lady Blessington,
who, thought he had made a conquest of a
ialr Engllshwoman, though somewhat
shocked by her fOrwarduess because in an